Haunted Mind
by iim asia
Summary: Hermione is raped by a man. She fears telling anyone, so she journals all her feelings down. What happens when a certain Slytherin gets a hold of this journal and reads it? Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

"Stop! Please just stop this," Hermione screeched at the man on top of her.

The sneering laugh that answered her screams just sent her into more of a panicked flurry to get away. Summoning all of her strength – which wasn't very much at the time – she reached back her arm and punched him in the nose. She made contact, but did very little to deter the imminent attack.

"Bitch," the man said, hitting her across the face.

She broke down into tears as her forced his lips upon her own. She thrashed her head this way and that to try to get him off, but nothing worked. "You'll only make it worse for yourself. Now stop moving about." The man's harsh words only send Hermione into continuously more frantic attempts to escape.

"Please," she whispered. The man laughed again as he roughly ripped off her school robes. "Please," she begged again.

"You want it."

"No," she said, shaking her head vehemently.

"Say it." The man told her and he touched her.

Hermione's tears became hysterics now. "I can't."

"Tell me, Hermione. Tell me that you want this – that you've wanted this since you first met me," the man sneered.

Hermione wept still, her entire body shaking as she did so. "P – please, sir. I – I've wa – wanted this since I f – f – first m – met you."

The man laughed, and pulled off his pants. Hermione's eyes widened, and she thrashed in place, trying to escape his rough hold on her. He pushed herself in her and started working in and out; sweat accumulating on his brow as he did so. Hermione continued to weep, pleading with the man to stop.

He finished with a grunt, and stood up. "If I had known that you were just going to lay I wouldn't have even bothered," the man told her with a sneer and he rightened himself and swept out of the chamber without a backwards glance, leaving Hermione to pick herself up from the floor, crying, and broken inside.

**Right, well I don't know where this came from, really, but hopefully you liked it – or, well I don't know, at least thought it was good. I'm not certain if this should be a one shot or a full story, I have a rough plot line that could go with it if it's to become a full story. Please leave reviews. If I get 3 reviews tonight, I'm making it a full story; 5 reviews by tomorrow night, and I'll still make it a full story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**New chapter. Mmmhmm, yep, enjoy. BTW; This is an AU, taking place during Hermione's 6****th**** year at Hogwarts.**

Hermione flinched away as Ron came up and hugged her, hoping that he hadn't noticed her now involuntary reaction.

"What do you say we go down to breakfast together, 'Mione?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "I'm just going to go for a walk this morning. I'm not very hungry any how."

Ron looked at her skeptically. "How? You haven't eaten anything for at least a day, and you've barely been eating for the past month or so. What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Nothing is wrong," she snapped back at him, then felt badly for her biting tone. After all, it wasn't Ron who had done what that man had done, and it certainly wasn't his fault. She had hoped that she would just get over it like nothing had ever happened before, but it had proved to be a bit more challenging than she had anticipated.

"Want us to go with you?" Harry asked from one of the chairs beside the fireplace. "We could do with the exercise – Ron especially." Hermione tried her best smile, but it still hurt her to even attempt to fake one.

"No, no. I'll be back up here in about an hour. I'll see you then," with that Hermione left the common room, headed towards Hogwarts' vast grounds. She meandered aimlessly around the lake, finally sitting beneath a tree. She took out her journal and began writing, like she had been doing everyday whenever she was feeling over-whelmed after _it_ had happened.

_It's been thirty-four days now._ She wrote. _I can't help but keep thinking about it. I feel somehow responsible for what happened. If I had just been smarter. How was I supposed to know that this was going to happen to me? He was so old, and terrible. At night I still feel him there, lying on top of me. I can't sleep anymore, and I can't eat. Whenever I manage to get something down it never stays that way. When I sleep, I don't dream, all I have is night mares, and those are enough to make me regurgitate my dinner – what little bit I might have managed to keep down before my restlessness. I wish I could tell someone, but what would they think?_

A tear leaked from her eyes and dotted the paper, smudging the fresh ink. She sighed. Writing about what was going was helping a little bit, but what could she do other than that? Talk to Harry or Ron about it? No, she couldn't do that. If she brought this information to Dumbledore it would force him to take action, and could ultimately result in the decline of the Order of the Phoenix. Without a spy, what would the Order be but a small collection of unruly wizards and witched. Nothing.

She sighed and continued writing. _Everyday in class I have to endure the taunts of Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins. As if Potions class isn't already bad enough, having to look a rapist in the face, knowing that he did that horrible thing to me, knowing that he stripped me of my power as a witch. Certainly not my magical power, but my power as a person in and of itself. It is degrading. Some days it's almost unbearable. I just want this pain to end. I often find myself wondering if life would be better if I just ended it. I can't even wear short sleeves any longer, for fear that someone, be it a teacher or Harry or Ron, or some one else who was once my friend, might see the crimson gashes. I don't dare go to see Madame Pomfrey, for she would surely ask about them. Everything . . ._

A shadow crosses across the journal page that Hermione was scribbling furiously on, and she looked up, fearful, as always, that it would be _him_, back for more of her dignity and self respect – not that there was much left in her anyhow. No, it wasn't he who she feared the most, but it was someone almost equal to the despicable man.

"Writing poetry, Granger?" Malfow sneered, snatching the journal away from Hermione before she could stop him.

"Malfoy, please," she begged. His eyes widened at her pleading. She never would have been like that before, but the attack of her person had left her only a shell of her former self – even people who had barely known her recognized this, though Draco Malfoy, apparently, had not.

"What's with you, Granger?" Malfoy asked with mock sincerity, sarcasm clear in his voice.

"Never you mind," Hermione snapped. This was the only time she could ever bring herself to become riled up, when someone asked how she was doing; what was wrong with her; if something was wrong. She became defensive, instantly terrified that they might know her deepest secret, half hoping they had, and she would then have someone to speak with about it, half hoping they hadn't, so she wouldn't have to face the shame.

Malfoy looked at her a sneered, "Well there's the Hermione we all know – and despise."

Hermione lunged for her journal, and as she did, Malfoy pulled back his arm, launching the journal into thick brambles beside the lake. Hermione burst into tears and just ran, knowing that at least Malfoy wouldn't risk his pretty flesh to retrieve the journal. She would just come back later for it, when he wouldn't be around to witness it.

**Right-o. It's not a bad start, I don't think. Let me know what you think, REVIEWS!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kay, new update. I know it's a little late, but I hope you all had a merry thanksgiving. (: Read, review, and enjoy!**

Draco stood by the lake in shock – Hermione running away from him? It wasn't natural. Something major had happened, and he didn't know what.

_Get a grip on yourself, Draco_, he thought. _You don't care about her, or what happened to make her like this. You. Do. Not. Care._ But he couldn't help it. He knew that one of the main reasons he picked on Hermione so much was because he liked her. The stupid frizzy-haired, mud blood know-it-all, and he, Draco Malfoy, of pure blood and decent, liked her.

He sighed and looked towards the thick, prickling bushes. He knew what he was going to do before he did it. He reached out towards the bushes, ignoring the small cuts he received from doing so, and grasped the diary. _Hermione won't like this, Draco_, his conscience nearly screamed at him. He ignored it, walking up to the castle.

Later that night Draco sat in the prefects bathroom – the only place in the castle with guaranteed privacy, well besides ghosts, professors, and house elves. He sat beside the pool-like bathtub, holding Hermione's diary in his hand.

He had been like this for at least a half hour – arguing with himself. He should return the diary, he knew, but he wanted - no. He _needed_ to know why Hermione was so unlike herself. Finally he opened the book and began reading.

The first entry read; _My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a witch in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and one week to this day, my potions professor raped me._

Draco sat re-reading that one entry in shock. Snape raped Hermione? How? Why? Dread filled him. So this was why Hermione was this way now. Snape. His godfather. He shook his head and read the next few entries. Snippets stuck in his head, as if glued there. _I've started cutting myself._ One entry said, more than a few droplets of blood proving the fact on the page.

_Harry and Ron have started to notice something's wrong with me, but how could I ever tell them? It's my fault, anyhow. I was the one thick enough to go to his office that late at night, but he said it was urgent. That I must come quickly. How's that for 'brightest witch of the age'? Hermione Granger, the brightest witch in Hogwarts was bright enough to get herself raped. 'Oh, what a clever girl!' They'd say. 'She's the best one around,' they'd say. Hah! I know better._

Draco sat in the bathroom until the early hours of morning reading the horrors within Hermione's diary. He couldn't understand how she felt responisble for the despicable acts of Snape, and, somehow, reading her diary made him want to protect her. He wanted to do something to take her pain away, and he wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault - that everything would be okay.

He took out his own quill and wrote on the next blank page of the diary. When he was pleased with what it read, he closed the diary. He would give it to Hermione tomorrow in Potions. He sighed morosely. Now he knew why she was doing so wretched in that class, and now he knew why Snape was so harsh on her, too.

**Right-o! Review, please. I know that this was a bit awkwardly written, but next chapter will come on swift wings if I get enough feedback.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Update! Read, review, and enjoy.**

Hermione couldn't sleep the night before. She had gone back to her spot by the lake for her diary, but couldn't find it anywhere. She tried accio-ing in, but to no success. Malfoy had taken it – she had no doubt about that. But what would he do with it? Read it, she was sure.

Would he tell anyone? Would he bring it to _him_ so they could get a hearty laugh about it together? Dread hung over her like an ominous storm cloud threatening the day. They would have double potions together first block. Would he say something to her during class, or would he wait until after class to torment her with his knowledge?

"Hermione," Harry said, loading a plate of breakfast for her. "You need to eat. You're so thin – it worries me."

Hermione sighed. "I don't mean to worry you. I'm just not very hungry."

"Do you have – oh, what's the muggle word for it – do you have anemorexica?" Ron asked, a serious look on his face.

Hermione chuckled a bit. "It's called anorexia, Ronald. And I do not have an eating disorder. I just haven't been feeling hungry lately."

"Eat," Harry and Ron ordered in unison, pushing the plate of food Harry had made towards her. She sighed and began picking at the food. When they look happy enough she felt pleased. At least they wouldn't be bothering her about her eating habits for a while as long as she ate what they gave her. She knew it wouldn't stay down, but at least she wouldn't be pestered for a bit.

When breakfast ended the three Gryffindors walked together towards the dungeons, Hermione feeling less and less brave by the second. By the time they sat down she was nearly in hysterics. Ron looked at her with concern, and she shook her head, signaling that nothing was wrong.

Then Malfoy came in. He looked at her with an odd expression, then turned back to his friends and laughed at a joke he hadn't heard. He had decided to talk to her after class, rather than in front of her friends. He was disgusted with himself. He was feeling so much for this stupid mud blood, and he didn't have the slightest idea as to why.

Hermione left out a breath of relief. She wouldn't have to face him with Harry and Ron right there. The class went by in a quiet stupor for Hermione. She didn't pay much attention to the steps anymore; because it would mean paying attention to what _he_ had to say – something she would much rather die than do. She laughed humorlessly to herself. If only she was brave enough to die.

Finally the signal rang, signifying the end of class. Malfoy had handed her a note when she went to retrieve the ingredients for the potions telling her to ditch Harry and Ron and meet him by the lake at the end of class.

"Aren't you coming to lunch, 'Mione?" Ron asked.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, you two. I promise." Hermione told them. They looked reluctant to leave her alone, but at her encouragement they finally did, and she walked to the tree that she had spent so much time under 'til yesterday's incident.

When she got there, Malfoy was already sitting down, her diary clutched in his right hand. When her shadow loomed over him, he looked up. "Sit," he told her. She did so silently, not wishing to fight. She didn't have the energy.

"What is it, Malfoy? By now I'm sure you read it. What do you want?" She wished that she could sound harsher than she did, but she didn't have the heart. _He_ had crushed her spirit – even Draco saw that now.

"I'm giving it back to you." He stated.

She blinked a few times, shocked. "Giving – giving it back to me? That's it? No strings attached?" She couldn't believe that she was getting off this easily.

"There are strings attached, actually. But read the newest page in the diary and you'll find them out," he told her.

"What strings? What strings have you attached to my secrets, Malfoy?" She asked, panic stricken. Would he want to steal her dignity too? Or would he want her to do something terrible to Harry and Ron? Maybe he would even make her read it aloud in the great hall. She shuddered at the thought.

"Open the damn diary, Granger!" Malfoy told her firmly. She flinched. "Sorry," he added, sounding like he almost meant it.

She opened the diary to the page she had been writing yesterday, then turned that. On the next page, in Malfoy's elegant scrawl was something that knocked the breath from her lungs.

_Hermione,_ it read._ I read your damn diary, and here is my list of attached strings; first, you will discontinue cutting yourself. I know from experience that it gets you nowhere – if you don't believe me, ask to see the damn scars. Second, talk. To me, to Harry, to Ron. To whom ever you so choose. I don't rightly care whom you talk to, but if you do not speak to someone you will not get over this. Again, trust me on this one. And third, please tell me things. I know – I know that this may seem out of character for me to say, but I have secrets too, Hermione, and I would rather like to share mine with you, since I know yours. Sorry. This sounds all wrong. You don't have to oblige to my attachments, but please try. Signed, Draco._

"Are you serious?" Hermione asked him, her face showing the first signs of any real emotion since it had happened.

His pale face grew serious. "I am more serious than you will ever know." With that he stood and began walking away. He turned, then, and threw another diary to her. This one was blank, but had both their names scribed on the front.

"What's this?" She asked, honestly intrigued.

He hesitated, "Well, I have one too," he held an identical diary up. "They're magically linked. So whatever I write in my own will also show up yours, and vice versa. I thought maybe – I mean, if you agree – instead of having to tell me things aloud you could tell me through these. I know it's hard to tell people your secrets to their faces, so I thought we should – or, well, could – tell each other in written words. If you need anything, all you'll have to do is write."

Then he walked away, leaving Hermione sitting by the tree, both diaries in her hands, and feeling more confused than she ever had before.

**Right, well. Reviews would be lovely, thanks. I know it's a bit fast-paced, but I'm not one for completely beating around the bush. I don't need to write seventeen different chapters to make one point, you know? Any-who. Reviews = fast updates. So do it, silly!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another new chapter! Haha, I feel so accomplished. I might have this fic finished by the end of the month. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy.**

Hermione sat on her bed, looking at the blank pages of Malfoy's diary, leaking tears onto the pages. She couldn't believe it. He knew. He knew, and he wasn't going to tell any one. She scoffed mentally. Like she'd believe that load of rubbish.

She looked back down at the diary, the page of which was stained with her tears. As she looked suddenly writing appeared in the same writing that was in her own diary. _Stop crying, please,_ was all that it said, but that was enough for her. She threw back one side of curtains around her bed and grabbed a quill and ink well.

_Why should I stop? And more importantly; why do you care?_ She scribbled back fiercely, leaving little smudges where her tears hit the parchment.

She sat staring at the blank page for nearly five whole minutes before Malfoy finally wrote back. _I don't know why I care, all I know is that I do, and isn't that enough?_ There was another break in his writing, and then, _Please, Hermione. Talk to me._

She closed her eyes, and suddenly, she wanted to tell him everything, but how could she ever trust him? He who was constantly taunting; he who was constantly cruel towards herself and her friends?

_How can I possibly trust you?_ She asked him after a few moments.

_How can I show you that you can?_ He asked back. She deliberated, not really knowing how to respond, while Draco wrote more. _Please, Hermione,_ his scrawl pleaded. _I can help. I know that I've been cruel in the past, but I want to help. I _need_ to help._

_I don't know how to tell any one,_ Hermione finally admitted, both to herself and to Draco. She had known for a while now that she should tell someone, but she simply did not know how to do it. She didn't even know where she should begin.

_Tell me your life story,_ Draco wrote back.

_Tell me yours,_ she countered. When he didn't write back for a while, she grew a but smug. _I knew it,_ she wrote. _I knew that you would never tell me._

_Fine,_ he retorted. _I'll tell you if you really would like to know – but I can promise you this; you won't like it._

_I don't like a lot of things, Draco._ Hermione admitted. She wasn't sure why she was telling him all that she was, but he was right. It did feel good to get a few things off her chest.

_I'm not going to give you any more nightmares, Miss Granger_, he wrote back. _How about a bedtime story instead?_

She sighed. _Fine,_ she replied, _but one day you'll have to tell me your story._

_Meet me by our tree tomorrow night at midnight and I'll tell you my story, for now, here's a story about you._

_Me?!_ She wrote, taken aback. No one had ever written about her before – well, not that she was aware of in any case.

_Yes you, Miss Granger. Now settle down into your bed and get cozy. If I was there I could make sure that you were, but since I am not, I'll have to pretend to know for sure. Write to me when you've done this._ When she wrote back he nodded, pleased. _All right, Hermione. Once upon a time there was a girl named Hermione Granger. She had everything one could hope to gain; friends who would stick by her no matter what life threw their way, beauty that out-matched any person around the globe, and smarts. She was the brightest witch of her age, of course. But this girl harbored a secret, one so terrible that it drove away every wonderful thing about her life. She pushed her friends away, fearful of what they would think upon hearing her secrets. She no longer cared for her body, hoping to make it as repulsive as she could so no harm would come to it again. In classes she would ignore every one, hoping that someone would just let her be, while at the same time, hoping desperately for someone to reach out and show that they cared._

Before he continued, Hermione wrote, _This story is sounding awfully familiar, Draco._

_Don't interrupt, please._ He wrote her back, and then continued. _One day she sat, the essence of pure beauty, beneath a weeping willow tree beside the lake. A strapping young lad came down because he had heard crying coming from her general direction, and had decided to investigate whom it could have possibly been. When he saw that it was she, he panicked. He was always cruel to her because he didn't know how else to be. He had always harbored secret longings for the beautiful girl since he had first seen her on the train to school, and it pained him to see her so broken. He had been watching her for years now – ever since she was eleven. His schoolboy crush that had started first year had eventually progressed into love – something that the boy had never had many dealings with. She was writing in a diary when he walked over to her. He tried to be kind, but she thought it to be an act. She hated him, he knew. He snatched the diary away from her, hoping to find the answers in there. When she lunged for it, he threw it into the brambles, knowing that later his arms would regret him doing so. She took off crying, leaving the boy befuddled. He didn't understand why his taking the journal could have upset her so – that is, until he read it later that night. What he read in that journal of hers set his head spinning. He couldn't believe that such things had happened to such a beautiful girl. As he read, these cravings to hold and protect her washed through his body, though he didn't understand why. Finally, he decided that he would find a way to help – if only she would trust him. That was the tricky part. Trust was hard to come by now a day, but he would help her find it for him._

When Draco hadn't written more of the story for a while, Hermione grabbed for her quill. _Go on, then._ She urged. _Finish the story, Draco. What does 'this strapping young lad' do?_

There was a pause, and then, _I don't know yet, Hermione. The story hasn't ended. It needs to progress more, but when I know I'll add more to the story for you. I'm hoping to have a little more to add each night, but for now, please try to sleep. Dream pleasant dreams, and hope a little more. I'll see you tomorrow. _

Hermione didn't write back after that, instead she pushed the stopper back onto her ink well, and put away the well and quill. Crawling back into her bed, she read and re-read Draco's unfinished story, each time gaining a bit more respect for the blonde Slytherin. Each time gaining another small kernel of hope that she wouldn't have to cope with this by herself.

That night was the first night in over a month that she didn't awake from nightmares.

**So, how was it? I know Draco's story was a bit repetitive from the previous chapters, but I though that it was important to get his feelings out into the open, and rather than doing a long, winding chapter of Draco's thoughts, I felt it would be most prudent to incorporate them into Hermione's chapters. Besides, it'll help her trust for him progress, and thus, their relationship. Any way, reviews would be most welcomed, please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow. That's all I can say to all the reviews that I've been getting. At least 15 on each chapter. Now that is amazing. Keep 'em coming, and I'll keep the chapters coming. Seriously, you guys inspire me to write quicker.**

Hermione woke up that morning, her arms curled around the magical diary that now held her happiest recent memory. She opened the book, half tempted to throw it away, half tempted to write to Draco in it. _Since when have I called him Draco?_ She wondered to herself.

_Probably when you started gaining a grain of trust for him,_ her subconscious whispered to her. She sighed to herself and walked into the bathroom attached to the girl's dorm room. After her longest shower in a while she got dressed in clothes that she actually took time to pick out and went back into the bathroom to study herself in the full mirror.

Her skin looked paler than usual, having lost its healthy glow from the lack of nutrition, she guessed. Her body was much too slender, her curves more angles than anything else. She sighed, just now realizing that Harry and Ron were right – she needed to eat more. She looked at her hair, curling limply around her face.

She needed to do something. Pointing her wand at her hair she quickly dried her hair, and pulled it into a messy bun, leaving soft tendrils floating around her face in an attractive way.

"Wow, Hermione," Lavender Brown said when she walked into the bathroom.

Hermione turned around. "Wow what?" She asked, not understanding what the sudden fuss from Lavender was about.

"Well," she started, shifting her weigh uncomfortably from one foot to the next, "you haven't exactly been looking great lately. Today, you look – well, alive."

Hermione laughed harshly. More people had noticed than she thought. If Lavender had noticed, than others certainly had too. Lavender nearly never noticed anything about another person apart from herself.

"Yes, well, I haven't been feeling the greatest lately."

Lavender nodded. "Or sleeping very well," she put in. "You've been waking a few of us from your nightmares lately."

Hermione blushed. "I – I'm sorry," she told Lavender. "I didn't realize that I'd woken anyone up. But they're getting better, you know?" When Lavender nodded her agreement to Hermione's statement she turned towards the door. "I'd better go talk to Harry and Ron," she stated over her shoulder. "They've been worried about me lately."

"Wow, 'Mione," Harry said when she took a seat next to him on the plush couch by the fireplace. When she gave him a slightly reproachful look, he looked surprised. "Sorry," he told her, a sheepish grin on his face, "It's just, I haven't seen you look so . . . "

"Alive," Ron finished for him.

Hermione laughed. It still didn't feel natural, but it wasn't completely forced. "I've missed you two," she told them.

Ron grabbed her into a rough hug, and she flinched back, flashing back to what had happened a month ago. He quickly let her go, muttering a quick, "Sorry."

She felt terrible. It's not as if she didn't trust him – or Harry, for that matter – it was more a matter of the male contact. Ginny walked over and sat on Harry's other side, taking his hand in her own. Hermione made note of this.

"You two are dating?" She asked, surprise leaking through her voice. What else hadn't she noticed during her black period?

Ginny smiled knowingly. "We have been for about three weeks now, Miss Queen of Observation."

Hermione looked at the small red-haired girl. She'd missed her so much. "Sorry about that you three. I've just been kind of – out of it lately," she told them lamely. They still looked slightly concerned for her, as if they were waiting for her to go back to how she had been for a while now, but smiled tentatively back at her words.

"Let's go get breakfast, shall we?"

When the three Griffindors sat at their table in the Great Hall, Hermione's gaze immediately roamed to the Slytherin table. Not because it was important to her if Draco was there or not, she tried reasoning with herself, but she knew that it was. She had decided the night before to write only in the diary that he had given her. It was a nice gesture, she had to agree, and it made her feel better knowing that someone she could trust knew what was going through her mind.

She quickly pulled out their diary when she couldn't spot him in his usual spot, but before she had time to write any words, someone cleared their throat gently behind her.

"Bugger off, Malfoy," Ron sneered when he turned to see who it was.

Draco ignored him, and instead turned to Hermione. "You seem to have improved a bit, Hermione."

"Hermione?" Harry asked. "Since when do you call her Hermione?!"

Draco turned to him, sneering. "Well that's her name, isn't it?" He asked. When Harry had opened and closed his mouth several times, Draco closed his eyes, regaining his composure. "So, how 'bout it, Hermione? What's brought about this change in you?"

"A new, trustworthy friend of mine made me realize how I was acting, and let me know that people cared." She told him. "By the way, Draco; I read a story that I really liked last night. It was the best thing I've ever read."

He beamed pride for a few seconds, and then maintained his Malfoy air of confidence. "Perhaps you'll let me see the book some time, then," and with that he walked away.

"Bloody hell," Harry said, sitting on the bench in shock.

Hermione turned to him. "What?" She asked.

"That boy is more confusing than anyone I've ever met – except perhaps you." When Hermione chuckled slightly, Harry smiled. "I'm glad that he's being civil with you, but I don't trust him. If I were you, I wouldn't trust him either. No one changes over night."

On that point they were agreed. No one could change directly over night; however, Hermione knew that she could trust Draco. After last night how couldn't she?

She sighed. It was all much too confusing. She opened the diary. In Draco's already familiar scrawl it read; _Hermione. Come to our tree when you've done talking and eating, please. I want to talk to you without them around._

**So, sorry it's a bit weird at the end. Speaking of weird; why is it spelt like that? The e before i thing? That's all wrong, and just plain weird. Haha, anyways, reviews, please. ******


	7. Chapter 7

**Ahh, yes! I feel so accomplished with this fanfic. And, the reviews make me uber happy. (: Keep 'em coming, guys. Anywho, enjoy!**

"Draco?" Hermione questioned when she reached the tree that he had seen her crying under.

"I'm up here!" He told her, laughing slightly.

She looked up and smiled slightly. He looked gorgeous sitting on a branch of the willow, his blonde hair reflecting the soft sunlight of the morning. "How did you get up there?" She asked.

"I'll show you," he told her, carefully climbing back down. When he reached her, he took her right hand carefully in his left. When she flinched slightly, he let go. "Do you trust me?" He asked her, looking at the ground.

She took a breath, steadying herself before she answered him. She gently put two fingers under his chin, guiding his face so he had to look at her when she answered. "Draco," she started. "I trust you – probably more than I trust even Harry or Ron right now, it's just hard for me to not react when a man touches me, even if I trust them one hundred and ten percent."

"Sorry," he told her. She smiled slightly and moved her hand from under his chin to touch his hand softly.

"I am too," she told him. She didn't want him to think that she didn't trust him. Truly, she trusted him more than she should, considering all that he had done to her in the past, but something about him made her want to trust.

He smiled. "Do you trust me to not let you fall from this tree if we climb it?" He asked. She gave a tight nod. Hermione had never really been one for climbing trees. She had fallen out of a small one when she was younger, playing with the muggle children, but that was about it. "C'mon, then. Do what I do."

It took twelve tries, but Hermione was finally sitting in the tree securely next to Draco. He had kept her promise, and hadn't let her fall. "Thank you," Hermione told him after a few minutes of just sitting.

He gazed quizzically back at her. "Thank you for what?" He asked.

She looked directly back into his bright blue eyes. "For making me live again."

He sighed, and suddenly his eyes seemed to gaze miles away. "I know from my own experiences what it's like to be a dead soul living in a live body."

Hermione looked at him. "Tell me your story now," she asked gently. "I don't want to wait until tonight to hear it, and there's not classes 'til after lunch today."

He sighed, his brilliant eyes darkening a few shades. "My story," he told her. "Is not one that any sane person would want to hear told."

She laughed sadly. "Lucky for you, then. I'm no sane person at all."

"If you were, we wouldn't be sitting here together," he agreed.

"Stop distracting me from you story. Tell me, please."

He sighed again. "Yes, alright. Well I was born much around the same time as Harry was. There was war everywhere, and my mother feared for my life. She felt that death lived in the house – in the form of Voldemort just as much as my father. She almost lost me, you know. Voldemort used the cruciatus curse against her in a violent fit of rage. He knew she was pregnant, but what did he care about the child living in her womb?"

Hermione sucked in her breath. She could be living without Draco to comfort her right now if Voldemort had gone too far with Narcissa.

"My mother, you must understand, loved my father once, but hasn't for a long time. She stays because I must stay, and she does love me. She never supported Voldemort, and she is not branded with the dark mark. Both her and I have fought long and hard to leave our arms unscathed." He sighed, "Perhaps it isn't enough, though. Eventually Father will grow tired of our rebellion against the Dark Lord. One day we may be forced to join his forces, and I fear that my day is drawing nearer, even as we speak."

"You don't have to join him, Draco," Hermione started, but Draco cut her off.

"No, Hermione. You don't understand. When the day comes that Mother and I will be forced to join Voldemort, there will be no choice. There will be no way out. It's fight until we are forced to submit, or die. Personally, I no longer favor the latter." He shuddered, his eyes still in a far away place. "My father," he told her, "Is an evil man. He does not care whom he hurts in his crusades with Voldemort, and he does not care about us. He used to beat me when Mother wasn't around. I was only three the first time I remember it. One day Mother came home early from shopping. My father was standing over me, a belt in one hand, and wand in the other. She screamed for him to stop. Begged him to think of what he was doing; what he had been doing without her knowledge. When he was done with her, he moved back to me. He always healed us afterwards; couldn't stand to let the Malfoy name be marred by the beating of his wife and child, but our wounds went more than skin deep."

Hermione could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe the words pouring out of Draco's mouth. The cruel hands of fate hadn't just recently marred him; he had been suffering far longer than she ever had been. The only love he had ever experienced was his mother's, and though that love was more important than any other, how could he know how to be kind without the proper guidance from both parents? Now she understood why Draco was so cruel; it was all he had known since he was small. He didn't know how to talk to women, because the way his father treated them.

Draco turned back to her then, his eyes shining with tears. He wiped the pad of his thumb across her cheek gently. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted another living being to know what made me who I am today."

She hadn't realized that her tears had spilt over until Draco had pointed it out. "I'm glad you told me," she said. "You're the only person, muggle or magical, who knows what happened to me."

"You should tell Potter and Weasl – er, I mean, Harry and Ron – what he did to you. They can help, and I can tell that they want to. They're not stupid, Hermione. They know that something is wrong with you, and they want to know what it is. They've been your best friends since first year. Since that troll attacked you in the bathroom stall. Try to let them know."

Hermione sighed. "I don't know if I can do that," she told him honestly.

"Try," he urged her.

"I will. I just don't know if I can." They sat in silence for a while, just sitting and thinking about all they'd learned about each other in such a short period of time. To think, they trusted one another so much, and yet, they'd been on opposite sides of the line just a week ago.

Finally, the warning bell for lunch rang. Hermione jumped. "We really ought to go. Our friends will be looking for us," she told him.

Draco reluctantly agreed. "Yes, I suppose they will be. Here," he said, holding out his hand to her. "I'll help you down from here." She cautiously took his hand, allowing him to help her down from the tree.

"Should we leave separately?" She asked him. "I know you might not want to be seen with a filthy mudblood witch like myself. It might spoil the Malfoy name. What would your friends say?"

His eyes darkened again. "Never call yourself that, Hermione. You're more pure than most 'pure bloods' I've met, and a much better witch at that."

Hermione blushed, the red showing brightly against her pale cheeks. "Thank you," she told him. She looked down and noticed that they were still holding hands. She blushed deeper and let go.

"C'mon," Draco told her. "Let's get going."

**Right-o! Longest chapter yet! Haha, reviews would be muchly appreciated. The more I get, the faster I write. (:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Guys, thank you so, so much for all the great reviews. Not even ten chapters and already over 100 reviews? This is most definitely my most successful fic yet. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!**

"Harry?" Ginny asked, coming down the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories. "Have you seen Hermione anywhere?"

He looked up from a game of wizard chess with Ron. "Hmm? I'm sorry, did you say something, Gin?"

She sighed. "Oh never mind, then. I'll just go look for her myself."

"Look for who yourself?" Ron asked, thoroughly confused.

Ginny just shook her head and walked away. _Men,_ she thought to herself. _They can be so thick headed sometimes._ She hadn't seen Hermione since breakfast, and classes would be starting in a little less than an hour.

She had been looking for nearly forty minutes before she finally spotted Hermione, walking with a blonde boy she thought she might recognize.

"Hermione!" She shouted across the lawn. When the older girl didn't respond, she started jogging towards her. " 'Mione!" She shouted again once she had gotten a bit closer.

"Oh, Ginny. Hey," Hermione said when Ginny stood panting in front of her. She looked at Draco, concern written all over her face. _What's Ginny going to say about this?_ She mused silently, and then decided that she didn't care. Draco cared about her, and she cared about him.

Ginny looked at Hermione. "Hey, jeesh, I've been looking all over for you, and I finally found you walking with," she turned towards Draco, and her mouth hung agape in an unattractive way. "Ma – Malfoy?" She asked, unsure of herself and what she was seeing. Hermione with Malfoy? No way was that one going to happen any time soon – but yet, here they were, standing close enough together that they were touching.

"Erm, yes. Hello Weas – er, I mean. Hello, Ginny," he told her awkwardly, holding his hand out for her. When she didn't take it he put it back against his side, looking around nervously. "Right, well, Hermione, I'll see you around. Don't forget to write me."

"Yes, I won't. See you later, Draco," she told him, and with that he left, leaving the two Griffindor girls standing together, staring off after the blonde hair Slytherin.

_Hermione with Malfoy?_ Ginny once again wondered to herself. _And he was being _civilized_ with her. Acting just like Harry and Ron do with her. I can't believe it. I'm going to get some answers, even if it takes all of next period._

"So," Hermione said, shaking Ginny out of her reverie. "You said something about looking for me. What did you want?"

Ginny blinked a few times to clear her thoughts before carefully replying. "Well, I hadn't seen you since breakfast, so I started to get a little worried. But Hermione, what were you doing walking with Malfoy?"

Hermione took a breath before deciding that she would take the step and tell Ginny. "Draco and I are both working out our life problems together. He sort of stole my diary a week or so ago, and he made me one that I can communicate with him in. He's sort of – saving my life."

"What do you mean, 'Mione?" She asked, concern and love flowing through her words. "Please tell me what you told Malfoy. I can help you, I promise. I want to help you, I have for quite some time now, but I can't help you unless you tell me what's been going on with you lately." They were sitting under a tree that was losing its leaves for the winter. Ginny reached out and put her arm around Hermione's thinning frame. "Please, 'Mione. Let me help you."

Hermione took a deep breath, knowing that this next step would be the hardest, but also the most crucial. She looked out over the lawn at all the happy, smiling people hurrying towards their next classes before the bell rang. "More than a month ago," Hermione started. She looked back at her best friend, and felt the love radiating from her – love meant for her. She took another deep breath. "More than a month ago, I was raped."

**Dunn, Dunn, Dahh! Haha, sorry it's so short, but review and I'll have the next part posted up tomorrow night. I felt like leaving a cliffhanger, since I haven't left one of those yet for this story. Any who, reviews, and guesses would be appreciated. (:**


	9. Chapter 9

**Haha, sorry about that cliffie, I just thought that this chapter (which was originally one chapter) should be by itself. Any who, as always; read, review, and enjoy! **

_She took a deep breath. "More than a month ago I was raped."_

Ginny was silent for a few moments. Hermione closed her eyes, fearing for the worst outcome; Ginny would think it was all Hermione's fault. She would freak out and call her stupid.

She heard Ginny take a shuddering breath and opened her eyes to look at the younger girl. Ginny's eyes were closed, her face contorted with barely controlled rage.

"Who?" She asked finally, her jaw clenched tight.

"What?" Hermione replied.

"Who!" Ginny yelled, her eyes flying open. "Who the hell did it? Merlin, Hermione, tell me. I swear on my wand that I'll kill him for it." Her hair was blowing around her face from an angry whirlwind of power.

Hermione hesitated. She wasn't sure what the outcome of telling Ginny would be. Maybe if she was a bit calmer, but right now didn't seem like the best time.

"Dammit, Hermione! Tell me, please. If you're worried I won't do anything – immediately. Besides, I though _I_ was your best friend. Now you're telling that loathsome ferret all your secrets. I bet _he_ knows who it was!"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Ginny," she pleaded. "It's not as though I told Draco about what happened – he stole my diary and read it. And if you must know it was –"

Ginny cut her off, "C'mon, then! Out with it, 'Mione."

Hermione shot her the shadow of a glare before continuing. "It was a professor."

Ginny gasped. "It was Snape, wasn't it?" Hermione just looked down at her lap. She could feel her wall trying to go back up. She wouldn't let it this time. She'd tried to tell Ginny numerous times, and she wasn't about to close up after finally getting this far. A spot of wetness hit her hand, and she touched her cheek, only to find that she was crying.

She sniffled and Ginny put her arms around her tightly. "He's a bastard, Hermione. We all knew that, but this," she shook her head, trying to keep her fiery temper at bay, if not for her own sake, for Hermione's. "This is going too far. He's going to pay for what he's done to you."

Hermione didn't doubt that Ginny would do something dreadful to Snape, and for once, she didn't care that it would be breaking school rules, or even Ministry rules. All she cared about was that Ginny knew – and didn't blame her for what Snape had done.

"Have you told Harry or Ron?" Ginny asked after a few moments of silence.

Hermione shook her head. "N – no. I haven't. I don't know how they'd react. And what it they blame me for what happened?"

Ginny turned to the older girl, her eyes flashing. "Never," she said through a clenched jaw, "say that _ever_ again. Hear me?"

Hermione nodded silently. "It's just that, maybe if I hadn't gone to that 'detention' then none of this would have ever happened."

"You can't think that way, Hermione," Ginny told her somberly. "If you think that way, he wins. If you think positively, even through these terrible times, then you will always be triumphant. Oh, and 'Mione?"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Try to tell Harry and Ronald sometime soon. The longer you wait, the more in the dark they'll feel. Besides, they already know something is seriously wrong with you, and they're sure to stop pestering you about your sanity and health if you stop keeping such a huge secret from them. Plus, 'Mione, they can help you. How long've you three been the 'Golden Trio'? People don't call you that for nothing."

Hermione managed a miniscule smile at that one. "You know, Gin, you're not the first person to tell me that today. Draco and you really are more alike than you would believe."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult. Although, considering how much you two have been together and trusting, and talking, I'll take it as a compliment."

"Yes, Gin. It's a compliment, don't worry."

Ginny looked at her best friend with a most serious look on her face. "The sorting hat was right this year; there really is a huge connection that is joining rival houses."

"Oh?" Hermione asked her. "What might that be?"

"Love," Ginny replied simply. "Love is connecting our houses through you and Mal – Draco."

"Love? But Draco and I aren't in love. We're just friends."

Hermione thought for a few seconds. She couldn't be in love with Draco, could she? Especially not after what a man had done to her. How could she love? _But you _do_ love him, Hermione;_ a small voice in the back of her consciousness told her.

Ginny smiled. "You two just can't see it yet, but I saw it in his eyes, and I saw it in yours. You two will make a spectacular couple. Don't worry. Besides, as you're best friend, it's my duty to bat-bogey hex any person who discriminates on your relationship."

"Ginny, Draco and I don't _have_ a relationship."

Ginny smiled coyly, a plan formulating in her mind already. It would be great for revenge on the man who had broken her best friend, and it would also be great for Hermione's recovery. "Not yet you don't any way," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, Gin?" Hermione asked. "I didn't hear you properly."

She laughed, "Nothing, 'Mione. Just talking to myself." With that she stood up, holding out her hand to pull Hermione up with her. "C'mon," she said. "Let's get off to class before we're in too much trouble."

**All right, sorry for a bit of a delay. I've had it written, but I went to the mall Thursday night, a dance/friends house Friday night, and tonight I had 5 crazy people playing DDR in my living room. Haha, anyways, review and you shall receive. (;**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry, but this one's gonna be short. I'm off for winter break tomorrow, and probably won't be able to post another chapter for about two weeks. I know, I know – you guys'll hate me, but I'll be writing most, if not all of the rest of this story while I'm away, so there's going to be loads of chapters posted after the new year. But to everyone, happy holidays. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Hermione and Ginny were sitting in the Gryffindor common room in front of the fire, each reflecting on the day's events. Hermione had finally told someone – and voluntarily, at that, and Draco had been civil with Ginny.

"Hello, you two," Ron said, dropping onto the couch next to Ginny.

They acknowledged him with identical nods, then went back to their separate musings. When Harry came in much the same as Ron had, he snorted. "Women," Ron told Harry, when he had asked what was up with the two girls.

Hermione snorted at that one. "As if you know the first thing about women, Ronald."

Ginny giggled, "Well, 'Mione. He does fancy you, or didn't you know that?"

"I do not fancy Hermione!" He exclaimed, the tips of his ears turning as red as his fiery hair. Then he turned to her, "Not that, er, that is to say - " he stuttered. "Well, I mean . . . " He trailed off, looking positively traumatized.

Harry interrupted with a small chuckle; "I think Ron's trying to say that he doesn't feel anything more than friendship for the beautiful Hermione Granger." When Ginny giggled, he laughed, adding, "Or something along those lines."

Hermione smiled. She was glad that, thanks to Draco, she had been able to gain back a few ounces of trust and dignity. When Hermione looked at the clock, she noticed that it was well after eleven at night. She sighed and stood, stretching in the process.

"Where are you off to?" Harry asked her when he noticed her movements.

"I'm tired," she told him, yawning for affect. "I'll see you in the morning."

"All right, night, 'Mione."

She smiled at him with a glimmer of the warmth she had lost. "Night, Harry."

She took her time getting ready before grabbing the diary that she shared with Draco and sitting cross-legged in her large four-poster bed.

When she opened the diary, she saw that Draco had already written something to her.

_Hermione,_ it read. _I have more to your story, but first, I want to know what happened with the Weasley girl – Ginny. What did you tell her of walking with me? Well, I'll be waiting for your reply. – Draco._

She sighed and took out her quill, scribbling fiercely once she dipped it in her ink well. _Draco, I told Ginny what happened. Before you jump to conclusions, I told her what _he_ did, not what we talked about in the tree today. I told you that I would keep your secret, and I will keep my word. As for what I told her when she asked why we were walking together, I told her that you were someone that I could trust more than any one else lately, and that you were a friend._

It was a few moments before Draco's reply began writing itself into the page. _You really told her we're friends? I thought for sure you wouldn't want her knowing that, and really, I wouldn't have blamed you. After all, who truly wants to be known as friend of Draco Malfoy? Not one person besides you, I can tell you that much. I'm glad you told the girl. She can help, I'm sure of it._ There were a few moments where ink from Draco's quill dripped spots onto the page. Hermione counted seven splotches before he continued. _I'm glad that you're trusting again, even if it's only me and – Ginny._

Hermione smiled to herself before replying. _It's entirely your fault, really, _she told him lightly. _If you hadn't stolen my diary that day, I would still be wasting away, rather than slowly recovering._

When Draco couldn't think of anything to tell her, she wrote, _Now, I believe you owe me a story?_

He smiled to himself. At least she enjoyed something that he could give her easily. _All right, here's today's story. He was sitting in a tree by the lake. It was the same lake that he had first exposed his true self to her, and the same tree that he had seen her crying under. He was reminiscing when he heard her delicate voice calling for him gently. He chuckled softly to himself before calling back, causing her to look up. Like he had hoped, she asked how he had come to be in the tree. He was ecstatic to be given this chance to prove to her that he could be trusted. He convinced her to learn how to climb – over come hard obstacles in a way, in another way; he just wanted her to trust him completely. When they were in the tree together, he looked at her beautiful face, the sunlight playing shadows on her soft face, so full of sorrow. Finally she asked him the one thing that he had been hoping she would not; what had happened to him. He knew that it was only fair to tell her, but it was such a hard subject to talk about. Then he realized how hard it must be for her to tell him all that she had, whether she had meant to or not. He told her his story, and had made her cry. He wiped her tears away, wanting nothing more than to hold her. To comfort her, but he knew that she didn't like being touched by men. A bell rang in the distance, signaling the end of their conversation, and he helped her from the tree, feeling more relieved than he had in a while after spilling his heart to her. When her friend came up she looked so shocked to see the boy and the girl walking together. It hurt the boy to think that it was so shocking that they should be together, but then he remembered how cruel his facade normally was. He bid them a due, and left the two girls to chatting, all the while wishing that he were there next to her, just holding her hand and whispering sweet nothings in her ear._

Hermione smiled to herself. _You know,_ she wrote to him, _Ginny thought that you might like me. That we might make a good couple one day._

He took his time before writing back, _Then she is smarter than I've ever given the girl credit for. Now, you need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Have sweet dreams._

_Good night, Draco. Thank you._

"I love you," she whispered after writing her final good nights to Draco. She wouldn't write it, however. She wouldn't admit to having those feelings if he didn't feel them back.

Draco sighed after reading Hermione's final good night. "I love you," he whispered, wishing that he were as gutsy as he put on. If he were, he would have told her that long ago. "Dream about me," he added, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

That was the second night without haunting images filling Hermione's unconsciousness.

**Alright, again, I'm sorry that you – probably – won't have any updates for nearly two weeks, but please review loads. You'll have lots of time to do it! Any who, read and review, please. And HAPPY CHRISTMAS/HANUKA/KWANZA/YULE!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh, gosh. I haven't written anything to do with any fanfictions in so long. I'm sorry. I could say that I've been too busy, but that would be a lie. I've just been to lazy for the internet. But now that it's summer I've got lots of free time on my hands to be typing away on the internet. Read. Review. Enjoy.**

Draco lay awake in bed for most of the night. Thinking. He had received a letter from his father five minutes after telling Hermione good night. He shuddered while thinking of the words inside, and the power that they held over his life. He had told Hermione that the day of his forced submission was growing nearer every day, but he hadn't imagined that it would be so soon. Christmas break was only just over two months away.

Rolling over, he saw that it was well into three o'clock in the morning. He sighed, and closed his eyes for at least a few hours of sleep. He slept fitfully, with awful dreams intercepting it.

_Hermione and he were walking hand in hand toward the lake, then, FLASH! Hermione was dead, and he was surrounded._ Draco awoke in a cold sweat, then fell back into his pillows. _He was looking for something - someone in the Forbidden Forest. It was of utmost importance that he found this someone, and then the trees broke into a clearing in the woods. A perfect circle, and the Dark Lord was sitting in the center, with something at his feet. "Draco, do you accept the Dark Mark?" Draco had snorted, and defied Voldemort. "Shame," The snake man had told Draco. "Now she has to die." He lifted the cover off the something on the ground, and it was Hermione. "AVADA KADAVARA!"_

Draco awoke once again in a cold sweat. He was panting. That dream was by far the worst nightmare he had ever experienced. It had seemed so - real. He took out the diary, and scribbled four quick words into it, sending those same words to Hermione.

_I care for you._

There. He'd done it. Not told her about his love. He was sure that if he did that she would never trust him again, and besides, she only thought of him as a friend. Nothing more, and nothing less. He wasn't willing to lose that status over some stupid feeling. Feelings could be hidden, and he was always quite good at hiding himself from others.

His thoughts turned from Hermione, to a much darker subject. Severus Snape. His godfather, and the man that he most wanted dead. (Voldemort was number two, but as he had not done such terrible things to the woman that he loved, Snape was top of the list.) How would he do it, if ever given the chance? He wasn't sure yet, but he would make it as painful as possible, even if he had to break a law or five. The cruciatus curse was always effective, but then he ran the risk of driving the older man too insane to feel the curse right up until the very end. He was sure that Hermione knew a few, but he didn't want to alert the young witch to what he would do. Avada Kadavara was too quick. No pain. Just a flash, and then - nothing.

Opening the diary once more, he found a few words scribbled back from said witch. _Meet me in the owlery after breakfast period._

Draco wrote a quick affirmative back, and waited for breakfast to begin.

**I'll be updating this by Monday if I get enough feedback. Thanks, all for your patience. Not that you really had a choice, but still. Anyhow. REVIEW, please. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Told you I'd update quickly. ;D Sorry that the last one was so short. I'm working on chapter length, but I needed to stop it where I did for the future of this story. Anywho, read, review, and enjoy!**

Hermione awoke with a strange feeling early in the morning - far earlier than any other girls in the dorms. She made her way quietly to the common room, and took out the diary that she shared with the blonde-haired, grey-eyed Slytherin boy. To her surprise there was already something written in it. _I care for you_. That was all it said. Four simple words that sent Hermione's sharp brain reeling. He cared for her? But what was that supposed to mean? There were so many different ways someone could care for another person. They could feel strong, brotherly love and really care what happened to the person in question. They could love someone romantically and care what happened to them more than any other thing in the world, though Hermione doubted that Draco could ever feel something like that for her. Even if she wasn't tainted by another man, he would never feel those things back.

She couldn't think of what to say back to him. She wanted desperately to tell him that she loved him, but there were two problems with that. The first was that she wasn't healed fully. She didn't have the couragousness that she had once held her head high with. Without that courage, she was too afraid of defeat, too afraid that Draco would reject her to tell him anything daring, and if professing her love wasn't daring enough, she didn't know what was.

The second problem to that plan was that Hermione would never know how to tell him. It simply wasn't something she had ever needed to do, and so, Hermione Granger had finally found something that she did not possess the knowledge to do. There was also a third problem to the plan that Hermione thought about quite often. How would she know that she loved someone for certain, if she had never done it before. Oh, she loved her parents, and Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasleys, but that was not the same love that she needed to learn about. That was a more unbreakable love. The kind that you got when you saw your baby brother for the first time. It was the kind that you would always have for a family member. For better or for worse, because you were stuck with them. Hermione had never had any sort of romantic feelings towards anyone in her life. Except for a muggle boy when she was ten, but then it was just a small crush.

Hermione needed to know how to tell that it was real love before she could even begin to seriously fathom exploring it. Or telling other people about it, but she needed, also, to talk to Draco. Maybe he could help her decipher her feelings. But she was afraid. Not of him. She knew that he would never hurt her, but she was afraid of these feelings. No man would ever want her now. She was tainted by another man, and willingly or not, she would never be pure enough for anyone to love like that. She was afraid that if she got too close to Draco she would tell him about everything - not about the rape. He knew that much about her, but she was afraid to tell him about everything going through her mind since she had known him as he truly was.

A noise sounded on the stairs about her, making her leap from the chair, her heart pounding.

"Jeesh, Hermione. You'd think I was a monster coming for you or something. Calm down."

Hermione laughed nervously as she recognized the bright red hair of Ginny coming down the steps from the girls' dorms. "I'm sorry, Gin. I guess I'm just really skittish after - well . . . you know."

Ginny looked back at her with sad brown eyes. "I know, Herms, and I am sorry for startling you." She looked at the diary on the arm of the overstuffed red chair. "Talking to Draco?" She asked lightly.

Hermione shrugged. "Not really talking, so much as analyzing."

"Analyzing what, exactly?" Ginny asked. When Hermione showed her the four words still scribbled in the book, Ginny just smiled.

"What?" Hermione asked. "What are you smiling for?"

"I am smiling," the young Weasley was saying, "Because it is painfully obvious that the two of you are in love, but neither wants to scare the other away." When the older girl started to interrupt, Ginny held up a hand. "No, Hermione, don't interrupt. Listen to me. Listen to what I am telling you right now. Draco is afraid that if he tells you that he loves you, you will get scared and run away, and after what happened to you, he has every right to assume that that will happen. You, Hermione, you think that if you tell him how you feel he's going to laugh at you. Tell you that you're broken, or somehow unworthy of his love. So neither of you say it, but both of you feel the same way. Talk to him."

"I do talk to him," Hermione replied indignantly.

Ginny shook her head. "Don't talk about the bad things, show each other the good things in life. Tell him about the feelings that you know you feel for the poor bloke, and tell him that you know he feels them back."

"When exactly am I supposed to do that?" Hermione demanded.

"Not in that diary of yours. You two need to talk face to face. I think I could distract Harry and Ronald long enough to let you and Draco have some private time in the owlery after breakfast, but you won't have too much time. Tell Draco to meet you there."

"What if he doesn't - "

"He does," Ginny told her firmly. "Now write to your man!"

Hermione blushed, mumbling that Draco was not her man, he was her friend, but Ginny just motioned towards the diary, and Hermione scrawled out a short message to the Slytherin. _Meet me in the owlery after breakfast period._

"There," she told Ginny. "I wrote telling him to meet me. Happy?"

Ginny watched Draco's positive reply appear on the parchment and nodded. "Quite."

**So what did you think? Not sure how long it is, but I know that it's pretty long. I know you guys were probably expecting the owlery scene, but I needed this background to make that chapter make sense. Anyways, REVIEW, and I'll get it up wickedly quick. I pinky swear. ;D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, so twice before now I have tried to write this chapter. And twice before now, I would get almost to the end, and then my computer would spazz out and delete everything that I had written. So, I apologize if this chapter isn't up to par with any other ones, because, honestly, at this point I just want it to be over and done with. On a lighter note, I got over 30 reviews last chapter, which, in and of itself is amazing. I really appreciate all of you readers, but most of all, I appreciate the reviewers. It's great to know that people are actually reading it, not just clicking, and feedback makes me want to try a third time to write this chapter. So read, review, and enjoy.**

Hermione was looking at the Slytherin table anxiously. Again. She'd been doing it periodically all through breakfast. Harry and Ron were across the table from the two girls, in deep conversation about new strategies for Quiddich. As Hermione searched for Draco - who still hadn't shown up, though breakfast was almost over, someone elbowed her in the ribs. Hard. "Ouch," she hissed.

"Stop looking for him," Ginny told her in hushed tones. "He'll be in the owlery like he said he would."

Hermione sighed, but before she could retort, Harry had turned to the girls. "Do you two want to go down to the Quiddich Pitch and practice with me and Ron?"

Ginny brightened. "Sure, I'd love to!" She told the boys, elbowing Hermione gently under the table.

"Actually," Hermione told them, "I was going to use our free period to finish some homework. I've still got to write an Arthmancy essay, and I've got a few other things that I need to do before I can do anything."

Ron looked at her anxiously. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

She shook her head gently. "Ron, how much fun do you really think you'll have watching me do homework? And besides," she added when he looked like he was going to interrupt, "Didn't you and Harry actually _need_ to practice today?"

"Well," he said reluctantly. "If you're sure you'll be alright."

She smiled. "If I finish early then I'll come out and watch you all play. Promise."

"Alright," Harry said, as if that sealed the deal. "In that case, we'll see you later, Hermione." They all filed out of the Great Hall, saying their goodbyes.

Hermione sat in her seat for a few more minutes before taking her own leave, saying a quick good morning to Dean and Seamus as she left. On her way up the winding staircase to the owlery, she took out the diary she shared with Draco to see if anything new had been written, but nothing had. She fingered the ingraving on the front cover as she reached the heavy oak door. _What if he decided not to come? _She asked herself. _What if he's finally decided that you're not good enough?_ Her hand hesitated on the knob. She took a deep breath. _Only one way to find out,_ she reasoned, and turned the knob.

Draco was pacing back and forth, waiting for her. He smilied when she entered. "I thought you might've changed your mind about coming," he told her. "Like maybe you'd decided that I wasn't good enough, after all. Pretty stupid, huh?"

She shook her head. "No. Not stupid." The hurt showed in his eyes before he could hide it, looking down. She smiled. "What I mean to say is, it is not stupid because I thought the same of you."

His head shot up quickly. "I would never - " he sighed. "Well, I guess that you'd never do that, too." Hermione smiled. He stepped toward her, taking her hand gently in his own, smiling to himself when she didn't flinch away. Not a smirk. Not a grin. A smile. It was nice. He looked slightly more vulnerable, younger, when he did it. Her led them over to the window ledge so they could sit comfortably. "Hermione," he started. "I have something that I've got to tell you."

Hermione held up a hand. "Wait," she told him. "I have something that I need to tell you first, and I'm afraid that if I don't say it now I'll get too nervous to say it after you." She waited for conformation from the blonde. When he nodded for her to continue, she did. "Last night when you told me that you cared about me, I was confused. I mean, what did you mean, 'I care about you'? There are so many different ways to care about someone. You can care for them in a brotherly way. You can care for them as only the greatest of friend can, or you can care for them as much more than friends." She stopped to chuckle. "You know," she told him, "Ginny came downstairs while I was trying to analyze what you meant, and she told me something. She told me that she thinks we're both in love with each other, but we are both too scared to tell either one about it. She thinks that you don't want to tell me how you feel because you don't want to scare me away, and she thinks that I don't want to tell you how I feel because I'm afraid that you'll reject me. Because I'm afraid that you won't want someone who's not 'pure', or whole. That you wouldn't want damaged goods. But I - "

Draco interrupted her with a low whistle. "Ginerva Weasley is smarter than I have ever given her credit for."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her brown eyes slightly guarded.

"What I mean," Draco told her, his eyes shining with his words, "Is that she's right. Absolutely correct. Well, about me, anyway. Look, Hermione," he cupped her cheek gently in his hand, guiding her face to be level with his, their eyes meeting. "I do, Hermione. What I mean is, I - " They leaned towards each other, Hermione looking nervously happy, and Draco's face positively light up with happiness.

Their lips were inches from each other. Centimeters. Millimeter. They were nearly pressed together, and then - bang! The door to the owlery swung open, revealing a disheveled Harry, wand at the ready. Hermione and Draco sprang apart, but the damage had been done. Hermione had done it now. She had known that she shouldn't leave her two best friends in the dark for so long, but now she didn't even have that chance.

"Harry, wait," she tried telling him.

"Get the hell away from her, Malfoy," he spat.

Draco stood up, all signs of vulnerability hidden from anyone who didn't know him well enough. "Potter." He said, inclining his head towards the Gryffindor.

"I said, get away!"

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "Let him alone. If I didn't want Draco near me, he wouldn't be!"

Harry faltered, then. "Wha - what are you _talking_ about, Hermione? This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about."

"I know who we're talking about," she retorted. "I'm not daft."

"You've got to be to hang around with Malfoy."

Draco was livid now. "She is not daft, Potter! She's the most brilliant witch of our age, probably of others, too! How _dare_ you call Hermione daft?"

Harry laughed harshly. "As if you really care! What does a deatheater want with a muggle born?"

Hermione slapped him. "Don't you _ever_ call him that again, Harry James Potter!"

"What?" He asked. "Don't say what he is? Why shouldn't I?"

Draco was taken aback by Hermione's response. He was used to be accused of being a deatheater. It was expected by everyone that he would be one in the future if he wasn't already. "Hermione. I'm leaving. Write me tonight." With that, he stormed from the owlery, leaving the two Gryffindors to hash it out.

Once Draco had left, Hermione dropped to the ground, dripping silent tears. Harry dropped the 'tough-guy' act, and hurried to his best friend. "Look, Hermione. I'm - I'm sorry, alright?" He didn't know what to say. "I just - I saw you and Malfoy on the Map, and I figured you were in trouble. I only wanted to help."

"Help?" Hermione asked, clearly hysterical. "Help?! You wanted to help? _Draco _is the one who has been helping me! _Draco_ is the one who knows about what that - " she broke off. "Nevermind," she told him, calming down. "It's nothing. I need to go back to my room. I'll see you in Potions, Harry." With that she left the black haired boy sitting in the owlery, confused farther than he had ever imagined possible.

**And finis. (: Again, sorry if it's not excellent, but I'm just happy to have this chapter be done with. Reviews, please? Also, since I almost forgot. I was going to update this on monday as a birthday present to one of my readers, so HAPPY (late) BIRTHDAY XlizC'mon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh, wow. I am so, so, SO sorry for not updating this since the beginning of summer. I'm not going to give you guys the usual, 'I was really busy, blah, blah, blah' excuse either, because everyone is always busy, and I could have made time to write this chapter/fanfic, but I didn't. So, now I'm going to (hopefully) be updating/finishing this up. Anyhow, enjoy your long-awaited chapter!**

"Hermione Granger. Ten points from Gryffindor." The voice of Snape cut through Hermione's thoughts.

She gave herself a mental shake. "Wha - what?" She asked, not sure what had happened.

Snape sneered at her. "I was simply asking, what is the name of the most powerful love potion, but, clearly, there are other things that are much more important than my class on your mind. Another ten points from Gryffindor for you're cheek. And detention. Six o'clock in this classroom. Don't be late." With that, he turned smiling at Draco. "Mister Malfoy, perhaps you could tell me the answer of Granger's question?"

Draco looked startled, glancing quickly towards Hermione before speaking. "Yes, sir. Amortentia."

"Very good, Draco. Five points to Slytherin." He turned on Neville now. "And what, Mister Longbottom, are the tell-tale signs of Amortentia?"

The rest of the class continued the same. Snape attacking the Gryffindors, and praising the Slytherins. He didn't say anything more to Hermione until the end of class.

"Oh, Miss Granger?" He called in a mockingly sweet voice as she stood to leave. "Six o'clock. Don't forget it."

Hermione shivered, terrified. Ron noticed her shiver. "It's cold down here," he said, thinking he was agreeing with her. "They really ought to find a way to better heat these dungeons."

Hermione nodded, wondering where Harry had gone. He hadn't returned to potions when she got there, nor did he show up during the class. She was worried that she might have really upset him, but he had upset her. He'd had no right to come barging into the Owlery when he saw Hermione and Draco together in it on the Marauder's Map. She was livid with the injustice of their kiss being stolen away. But then, she couldn't stay too terribly angry with Harry. Draco was supposed to be their enemy, or, at least he was supposed to be Harry's enemy.

She sighed, not knowing what to do other than follow Ron towards the ground. She turned around as they neared the steps leading to the entrance way. Draco caught her eye, and held up his diary, and five fingers. She nodded.

Five minutes later exactly found Hermione and Ron sitting by the Great Lake. Ron was staring at the Giant Squid when Hermione pulled out the diary. "Ron," she told him. "I'm going to write for a few minutes."

He murmured his agreement, and went back to staring towards the Squid, and the first year boys who were now daring each other to see who would get the closest without being frightened.

When Hermione opened her diary, there was already a message from Draco scrawled there.

_Hermione_, it read, _Don't go to his detention._

She sighed as she unscrewed the cap of her ink. _I cannot simply ignore what he's told me to do, Draco. There would be consequences._

His reply was nearly instant, her ink was still drying when it appeared. N_O! You can ignore whatever you choose to ignore. Hermione, this is a bad idea. I am afraid of what will happen. And what if I can't be there to protect you?_

_I don't need protection, Draco!_ She wrote, furious for an instant, but then her fury died away. After all, he was only trying to help her. _I'm scared, too, she wrote, but that is no excuse to not stand up to him. This time I'll be prepared. I'm ready for what will come, and I won't let that happen to me again._

_You need to promise me that_, he wrote back.

_I promise._

_No, that's not good enough. I'm going to find something that I can do. Perhaps if I talk to Snape, he would let you alone._

_NO!_ She scrawled. _I don't know what he'd do if he found out that you know, but I'm not too keen on finding out. Look Draco, I need to go. Goodbye._

She closed the diary and shoved it back into her bag.

"What were you writing, anyways?" Ron asked. "You looked pretty into it."

Hermione forced a smile. "Oh, just an essay. I need to get it done."

"Oh," Ron said, not fooled by her smile, but not pushing the issue either. "Did you finish you're Transfiguration homework?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Hermione told him.

"Can I - "

Hermione cut him off. "It's in the dormitory. Let's go get it, then?"

"Thanks, Hermes! You're wonderful!"

She smiled to herself. A real one. She was glad for the friends that she had. Even if Harry had aggravated her earlier, she would never disown him. He was her brother, and Ron, too. They were the first two friends that she had ever made. Sighing happily as they walked towards the Gryffindor Commonroom, Hermione resigned herself. If something happened - no. No matter if something happened that night in detention or not, she would tell Harry and Ron what was wrong with her. Whether she wanted to or not.

**Alright! See, it's even semi-long! Hoorah for finally finishing another chapter. You have no idea how many times I sat down to my (new!) computer and started this chapter, getting lost half way through. Although it does get a little iffy/weird near the end, I think it's alright, so review it up! Thank you!**


	15. Chapter 15

**So, usually I wait until I have at least 20 reviews on a chapter (last one I got 16 before updating the story with this piece), but here's a new one! It's only because I got over the 300 reviews mark, and got really happy, so this chapter is dedicated to you. The readers that review. You are the ones that keep me going. I want to thank the other readers, too, but the reviews on my story are really the one thing that keeps me interested in writing this thing. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!**

"Damn, Potter," Draco was fuming to himself after his diary conversation with Hermione, he was both livid, and worried. He was terrified of what Snape might try with her. What if he couldn't think of a plan in time? What if his plan was ruined? He moaned in frustration, running his fingers through his platinum blonde hair.

He was frustrated with himself.

He was frustrated with Potter.

But most of all, he was frustrated by the fact that he couldn't be as good as Potter. "If I were him, I'd already have had a plan from the second I found out what happened," he told himself angirly.

He was tempted to write to Hermione again, but there was no gauruntee that she would get it until much, much later. He was also frustrated with himself for not coming up with a way for the diaries to let the other person know when they had recieved a message.

Draco threw himself onto his lavish Slytherin bed, not knowing what else to do, other than sit and think. He tried to clear his mind of everything that he was angry with, and frustrated about, and instead started to focus on the problem at hand: Hermione's detention later.

What could he do? He'd never actually had to defend anyone other than himself before. It was hard to imagine doing it, and yet, somehow, he found that, for Hermione, he could do it.

Well, he supposed that he couldn't actually go with his origional plan of talking to Snape. Hermione was right, that one was too risky, and neither of them knew what Snape might do, and he wasn't about to find out without permission from Hermione. But, on the other hand, if he went to Dumbledore, the man was bound to help, Draco supposed the old man wouldn't let Snape hang around the castle to terrorize Hermione if there was clear reason not to do it, no matter how valuable a spy Severus Snape was to the Order.

He sat contemplating his options for a few more minutes before finally deciding what to do. He wouldn't tell Snape that Hermione had told him anything, and he wouldn't go to Dumbledore, either. Not without doing this deed first.

Draco sighed with the realization of what this plan could mean for him. He did love Hermione. Really, he did, but it was hard for him to think of doing this for someone - especially a Gryffindor muggle-born girl, but it was necessary, and if something happened to him in the midst of it - well, then. So be it. It would be for Hermione, and that was all that mattered in the long run, really.

He looked at the clock next to his bed. There were only twelve minutes until his next class. Grabbing his bag in one hand, he stormed out of the Slytherin dungeons with his purpose for tonight finally set into the stone of his mind.

**So, sorry that this is a pretty suck filler, but I needed to commemorate you guys on getting me over 300 reviews on only 14 chapters! That's huge! So, HAPPY 300 REVIEWS, NOW LET'S KEEP 'EM COMING!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry for not updating in so long! . I had meant to update a day or two after that last chapter, but I just never got around to it. Consider this a Christmas/Yule/Hannuka/Kwanza/New Years gift, yeah? Read, review, enjoy!**

"Weasl - err, Ginny!" Draco was pounding on the entrance to the Gryffindor commonroom after being denied entrance by the Fat Lady. He checked his watch, to see that it was ten minutes to six. Hermione would be in Snape's quarters in only fifteen minutes. "Let me in, someone, please!"

Finally the portrait swung open. Harry was standing in the entrance, a look of contempt on his face. "What do you want, Malfoy?" He asked, venom in his voice.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Draco cried out, earning a look of pure confusion from Harry. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you in my existance, Potter."

Harry looked alarmed, taking in Draco's allover exterior, from his disheveled hair and robes, to the rest of him. "What is it?"

"It's Hermione!" Draco exclaimed. "She's in trouble! I'm going to need your help!"

Harry snorted. "Yeah. Right. Since when have you been concerned about Hermione's well being?"

"Since I read her diary, okay!" Draco told him in exasperation. "Just, please! Get over your prejudice towards me and help the third leg of your little 'Golden Trio', okay?"

Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco. "How can I be so sure that this isn't some kind of trick, Malfoy?"

"Because I can vouch for him," Ginny said as she rounded the corner. "He's not lying, Harry. If he says that Hermione is in trouble and he needs your help, then Hermione is in trouble and needs your help. Got it?" When Harry nodded his agreement, Ginny turned to Draco. "What's going on, Malfoy? Why is Hermione in trouble?"

"Detention." Draco said. "With Snape."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What time?"

"Five minutes ago!" He told her.

She took his arm and led him into the nearly empty commonroom. Harry followed closely. "So what's the plan?" She asked.

**Yep. This one sucks, too. But lucky for you guys, I'm at my gram's house right now, and I don't have anything better to do than ice skate with cousins, sled with cousins, and write by myself. The next chapter is written, and will be posted soon! (Tomorrow? It depends on you guys!) Review, please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**HAPPY 2010! This is my first update of the year! Read, review, and reply!  
**

Hermione edged into the dungeons. Her heart was beating like a wild bird newly caged, but she refused to show her fear on her face.

"Professor?" She asked as she edged into the room.

Snape smiled silkily at her. "Come in, Hermione," he told her as she walked in with her face set. "Come, come. Tell me, how have you been?"

"Don't try anything," Hermione snapped at him, as she whipped her wand out.

"Oh, dear. You would dare point a wand at a teacher? That's a threat." He neared her with a dangerous look on his face. "You wouldn't threaten a teacher, would you?"

Hermione's resolve didn't waver as she raised her wand higher. "That is far enough, Professor." She glared at him with piercing eyes. "You will not touch me again."

He laughed smoothly. "Oh, but won't I?"

"No, I don't think you will," Draco said as he crashed through the door.

Snape turned around. "Ahh, Draco. I'm sure that once I explain this to you, you will understand. This here," he said, with a gesture towards Hermione, "Is my task from the Dark Lord. I have received the unfortunate task of breaking apart the 'Golden Trio', starting with the mudblood."

"Don't call her that!" Draco yelled.

Snape smirked. "Wasn't it you that first called the witch a mudblood?"

"I'm not like that anymore," Draco told Snape.

"Well, well. You're father will be so . . . displeased to hear that you have forsaken your Lord."

"And I am displeased to hear that you haven't changed at all," Dumbledore said from the doorway.

Harry was staring that the greasy-haired man with new hatred in his eyes. "I was starting to trust you." He told the man standing before him.

Snape's eyes turned cold. "Well, Dumbledore," he said. "I suppose this means that I am fired."

"Indeed." Dumbledore replied with frightening seriousness. "Come to my office, Severus. We will have a chat, and then you will leave this castle. You will not go to Grimmauld Place, and you will not return to this castle. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly," Snape sneered.

**Yep. That's that. I think it really kind of sucks, but maybe you kids can change my mind? Haha, review, please. Oh, also, I was wondering what you all thought: should I end this with two or three round-up chapters, or should I keep going onto the war, etc? I really need to know, so tell me in a review, please.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Yay for another update! Wow! You guys give me so much great feedback! I have 381 reviews on 17 chapters. That's crazy. I'd always seen people with stories that successful, but I never thought that I would be one of them. I just wanted to thank you so much. Anyhow, read review, and enjoy!**

Hermione sat by the fire in the Gryffindor commonroom in one of the soft armchairs. After the confrontation with Snape had finished, Harry and Ron had asked her to meet them here. They were down in the kitchens coaxing some hot chocolate from the house elves.

"Here," Harry said, handing her a steaming mug complete with marshmallows.

She smiled her thanks. "Look, you guys, - "

Ron cut her off a bit angrily. "Why didn't you tell us, Hermione?" The tips of his ears were turning red. "I thought we were your best friends. I thought that we meant more to you than that git Malfoy."

"You do, Ronald," she replied. "Look, I didn't tell Draco - "

"Oh! Draco, he is now!" Ron exclaimed. "Wonderful. I'm glad we're all chummy! He is a deatheater, Hermione, or did you forget that detail when you were off romancing him?"

"Don't you go calling him a deatheater, Ronald Weasley! You don't know him at all!"

"And you do?" He scoffed.

"I know him better than you do! And for your information, I didn't tell him anything! He found my diary and read it, okay?"

Harry cut Ron off before he could retort. "But Hermione, why didn't you tell us what had happened before now?"

"Because," Hermione began, tears pricking at her eyes. "I was afraid - "

"Not too afraid, apparently, if you could talk to a Slytherin about it!" Ron interrupted.

"Ronald!" Ginny snapped from the bottom of the stairs. "Shut it. You don't know what Hermione had to go through."

"Maybe I would if she would explain it to me," Ron told his sister.

"If I am not mistaken, Hermione is currently sitting there attempting to tell you. If you could shut your trap for a few moments." Ginny snapped at Ron. Turning to Hermione, she smiled comfortingly. "Go on, Hermione. I'll keep this twit quiet for you."

Hermione gave her a watery smile. "I was afraid that you would blame me for what had happened," she said, looking from Harry to Ron nervously.

Harry was the first to react, reaching forward and hugging her tightly. "Oh, 'Mione, I wish I had known that long ago. I would never blame you. Never. How could you think that?"

Her tears spilled over now. "I don't know," she told him quietly. "It was scary. And I kept thinking about what I could have done to prevent it from - "

"Shhh," Harry told her. "We understand," he said, looking pointedly over to Ron, who was still seething over Hermione and Draco becoming friends.

"I don't blame her for what happened," he said. "But she didn't have to go become best chums with the ferret boy."

"Ron!" Ginny started.

"No, Ginny," he said. "Save it!" With that he stalked up the steps to the boy's dormitory.

Harry looked apologetically at the two girls. "I should go try to calm him down," he said apologetically, before following Ron up the stairs.

Now Hermione's tears spilled over. "I should have told them sooner," she said sadly.

Ginny gave her a quick squeeze. "Look, what's done is done. Ron'll come around soon enough, he's just bent out of shape because you're friends with Malfoy now."

Hermione sighed. "I hope so. I think I'll go up to bed now," she told Ginny.

"Alright. 'Night, 'Mione. If you need anything, you know where I am."

She smiled at the younger girl. "Thanks, Gin. Good night."

**Yep. So, I still don't know if I'm going to end it soon or not. I'm getting feedback for both choices. Blehh, whatever, I'll figure it out eventually, yeah? Reviews, please!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Haha, I'm so proud of all this writing I've gotten done, and hopefully you're all satisfied as well~! Anywho, I don't really have an author's note right now. Read, review, and enjoy!**

Hermione sat on her four-poster with the curtains drawn. Muttering a quick silencing charm around the little fort, she lay back against the pillows as the tears began to pour down her cheeks.

Sighing in frustration, she sat up and grabbed Draco's diary. There was already something written in his elegant scrawl on the page that she opened to.

_Hermione_, it read, _I'm sorry about butting in, but I am not sorry for keeping you safe. I hope you're not upset with me. Thinking of you, Draco. PS. Write back soon, please!_

Beneath that was another message from him.

_Please write back_, it said.

Hermione sighed again before taking out her quill and ink.

_Draco_, she began,_ I'm not upset with you. I'm entirely grateful to you. My only regret is that I didn't tell Harry and Ron about what happened long ago. Ron is upset with me for talking to you rather than them. But don't worry about me. I'm fine. Write back whenever you get a chance._

When Draco's reply came, it was short and to the point. _What did Weasel say?_

_Don't call him Weasel_, Hermione wrote. _And he didn't say much of consequence. Mostly he's just upset that I didn't think I could trust Harry and himself, but I trusted you, who, for all of our years at Hogwarts, has been their nemesis. It's going to take a whole lot more than just getting them to help you for my benefit for them to trust you._

Draco sat in his bed, frustration written across his face. He ran his cold fingers through his hair before writing back.

_I don't care if they trust me or not_, he wrote back, _as long as _you _trust me. You're the one that matters, Hermione._

Hermione smiled to herself. _I trust you, Draco_, she scribbled. _Meet me in the owlerly in ten minutes? Please?_

Draco thought it over for a few seconds, mentally mapping out his route to the owlerly before writing his compliance and setting off through the shadows.

**Hmm, sorry this is kind of really short, but sometimes you just need a filler, yeah? Also, thank you to all of my fans. I have over 400 reviews on this story now, which is about 395 more than I had ever expected. THANK YOU! Anyway, reviews, please! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**No authors note. I have nothing to say, except thanks for the reviews, and read, review, and enjoy!**

Ten minutes later Hermione was doing something that no one would ever expect from the perfect student. She was sneaking up the owlery steps to meet a boy - a Slytherin boy, no less.

When she cracked open the door, Draco was already standing in the cool moonlight.

"You're late," he teased.

Hermione smiled shyly. "Not late. I'm the one who set up this meeting, so when I arrive is when we are supposed to meet."

Draco sighed. "I suppose this makes me early, then." When Hermione giggled, he smiled full watt at her. "Come sit down with me," he said, patting the stone ledge next to him. When she complied, her looked at her, happiness shining in his eyes. "So to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" He asked her. "Not that I mind, of course," he tacked on quickly. "I am simply curious as to why the Gryffindor Queen would want to come see me, the 'Heir of Slytherin' at such an ungodly hour of the night."

Hermione smiled, looking down. "I just wanted to thank you," she told him. "For earlier, I mean. I could have handled it, but I'm not upset about you coming to help me." She was blushing profusely now. "I'm extremely appreciative of you, actually."

Draco put his arm around her small frame, when she leaned her head against his shoulder, he leaned over and kissed the top of her hair. "Hermione, tonight I did something that I never tried to do, not even once in my life. I helped someone that I cared about. I thought about someone else's well being before I thought of my own." When she opened her mouth to interrupt, Draco put a finger to her lips quickly. "Wait, Hermione. I'm not finished yet." He waited for her to nod before going on. "My whole life has been spent trying to protect myself from the world. And my father. I could have stopped to help others, but I didn't. Today, I helped you, but in doing so, Snape will now tell my father about what I did to defy You-Know-Who, and all hell is going to break loose for me now, and you know what?" He asked.

"No," she shook her head. "What?"

"It was all worth it." He told her. "And it was only worth it because I did it for you." He pulled her face up to look into his face now. "Hermione, I have something to tell you."

"Dr - Draco," she stuttered. "You don't have to - "

"I know I don't have to do anything," he told her. "But I want you to know. Hermione, I think - I think I might be in love with you," he blurted. "And, I mean, you don't have to feel the same way, it's just that I really wanted you to know how I felt and - " he said quickly, before Hermione stopped him.

"You really mean it?" She asked, looking straight at him now.

"Ye - yes," Draco told her, stumbling a bit over his answer.

Hermione smiled, and touched his face hesitantly. "I think," she started nervously, "I think that I might be in love with you, too," she told him.

He smiled. "And do you really mean it?" He asked. "Or are you just saying it because you're feeling bad for me?"

"No," she told him quietly. "I think I really do think that."

"Well," Draco said. "I have a favor to ask of you. - And you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do, it's just that, I've wanted it to happen for a really long time."

Hermione looked up imploringly at him. "What is it?" She asked, curiosity clear in her tone.

"Kiss me," Draco said, a blush creeping up his usually cool, together features. He turned his sharp gray eyes down, ready for the rejecting that he was sure was about to befall him.

"Okay," Hermione replied, after taking a short, deep breath.

"Okay?" Draco asked, his eyes shooting up to study her face, searching imploringly for any hint of sarcasm.

Hermione smiled. "Yes. Okay."

Draco smiled brightly, his white teeth showing in the blue moonlight. He leaned forward, softly touching her face, still searching her eyes for any hint that this was not what she wanted. Finally she leaned in to meet him the rest of the way. Their lips clashed together breifly.

Draco pulled back, and searched her for regret before moving forward again with more fervor this time. When they finally broke apart, he looked into her honey brown eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.

She smiled. "Yes. Thank you."

**Yep. So they finally kissed. I know, I know. I am simply wonderful. :P Haha, well I certainly hope that all you kiddos out there liked it. Reviews, please!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate each and every one of you. Seriously. ^.^ Anywhoo, read, review, and enjoy!**

Hermione awoke in the morning, feeling refreshed and awake for the first time in a while. There was no impending potions master to fear, her best friends knew her secret, and Draco knew how she was feeling about him finally.

She sat thinking about the night before for a while. She had kissed Draco. Kissed him. And she had told him how she felt. Exactly how she felt. She was completely undecided as to whether it was a good thing or not. Actually, the more that she thought of it, the more worried she became. She didn't know if she could handle more emotional pain in her life right now. She was already dealing with Ron, and Snape, she really didn't want to lose Draco.

She glanced at the diary that the two of them shared. To her surprise, the normally silver color of her name was pulsing a light blue. She picked it up curiously, wondering if there was something wrong with it.

When she opened it, she saw a message from Draco.

Do you like the new charm I put on the diaries? When you have a message from me your name will pulse blue, and when I get a message from you, mine will do the same, this way we'll know if the other one has written anything.

Hermione smiled, and wrote back. Thank you, Draco. I like it a lot. It was a very clever idea.

Draco watched as his name finally pulsed. Good, he thought. At least she's still talking to me.

I'm glad you like it, he wrote back. He paused for a few seconds before continuing. Do you want to meet me before breakfast?

Hermione looked out the window of the dormitory to see that it was only just dawn. Sure, she scribbled back. The tree by the lake?

Definately, Draco wrote back. Meet you there in ten.

Hermione closed the diary and crept to the bathroom, trying not to wake up any of her roommates. She showered quickly and ried her hair magically, so it fell neatly down her shoulders in nicely controlled waves. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she finally went headed out.

When she reached their usual meeting spot, Draco wasn't there yet. She looked up at the branches of the tree where they had first met. The first tree she had ever climbed. Thanks to Draco. She had done a lot of things thanks to Draco lately.

"Hermione?"

She turned around at the sound of his voice. "Hey," she said quietly, blushing with thoughts of what she had told him last night.

"Look," Draco began after a few seconds of awkward silence. "If - if you regret anything about last night - "

"No, no!" Hermione said quickly. "I don't regret anything. Unless you do."

"I don't regret anything about last night. I - I had wanted it for a while," he told her, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Really?" She asked, looking up.

"Really," he told her. "I didn't want to drive you away. I was afraid that, well, you wouldn't want to know about how I felt."

"No, I'm glad that you told me. I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same as I do." She told him.

He smiled at her. "Well, I do."

Her blush darkened. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank you for what?" He asked, coming closer.

She looked up into his eyes, meeting them briefly before looking away. "Thank you for showing me that I'm not worthless. Thank you for showing me that someone could really care about me. Thank you for teaching me how to feel again. There's just so much that I have to thank you for, Draco. The list would never end."

He grinned sloppily. "Well you're welcome. I'll always be here for you. I can give you whatever you need."

She glanced back into his silver eyes. "Kiss me?" She asked.

"With pleasure."

Draco leaned towards her gently, his hand brushing her cheek ever so slightly. He kept his eyes locked with hers the whole time. Finally his lips brushed against hers. She smiled against him.

"What?" He questioned.

"Nothing," she told him. "I just can't help but be happy with you."

His grin turned into a smirk. "Me too, Hermione. You make me feel so alive."

"Me, too." She replied, sinking into his arms as he sat down to watch the sun finish rising over the lake. "Me, too."

**So, I have a snow day tomorrow, no school on Monday, and then I get my wisdom teeth out Tuesday night, so I won't have any school Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, so I'll have tons of time to update and to work on a few new projects. ^.^ Review, please? Have a great day!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Whoop! Updates! I'm really happy with this story right now. It's amazing how many reviews I'm getting, and even more amazing how many people have subscribed to it. I might not reply to all your reviews, but I do read and deeply appreciate each and every one of them. So keep 'em coming, yeah? Read, review, and enjoy!**

"You look nice this morning," Harry said, his mouth full of food.

Hermione smiled, looking down at her plate. "Thank you," she replied. "I went out before breakfast."

"To meet Ferret Boy?" Ron asked.

"Ronald Weasley!" Ginny yelled, elbowing her brother hard in the ribs.

He winced before mumbling, "Well, it's just not right, those two getting on like they are. I mean, he's a - a Slytherin, for Merlin's sake."

Hermione looked over at Ron, eyes furious. "Don't you think these house rivalries are getting a little old, Ronald?" She asked, venom in her voice. "Don't you think we ought to just grow up?"

Ron scoffed. "If you call getting on with Slytherin scum growing up, then certainly not," Ron snapped back. "And if you were half as smart as people think you are - "

"Stop it, Ron," Harry told him best mate, putting a hand against Ron's shoulder. "Just let it go. Hermione's not property, she's a brilliant witch, and if she wants to befriend Draco, it is no place of ours to refuse her."

"So now you're on her side, too?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"I'm not on any sides. I'm just a friend to the both of you. Hermione's gone through so much lately, don't you think she needs us now more than any other time?"

"Well apparently not," Ron shouted, causing the Great Hall to hush. "She's been perfectly fine being all chummy with Malfoy, so why would she need us now?" He turned on his heel and stormed out of the hall.

Hermione could feel the tears pricking at her eyes. "Don't cry, 'Mione," Ginny said, running a soothing hand over the older girl's hair. "Ron's only upset that you like Malfoy instead of him."

Hermione shrugged. "I guess," she said. "I just want everything to go back to before this year."

"The things that we live through are the things that make us who we are, Hermione," Harry told her. "Trust me. I should know."

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione said.

He smiled at her. "No problem, Hermione. It's only the truth." The bell rang. "C'mon, let's get to class."

**Yep. That's my semi-crappy update. Sorry that it's not so great, but, hey, at least I'm updating, yeah? Haha, anywho, review, please. Love, Asia.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Oh, gosh! I haven't updated this in almost two months. :| I suck. And so does this chapter. But read, review, and enjoy. I'm gonna try to update sometime over Easter break, too. (:**

Their first class was potions. Hermione made her way down the stairs to the dungeons, uncertain of what was awaiting her. She didn't know what the story would be as to why Snape had vacated his position.

As the students filed in, there was a confused hush that settled over the classroom. Dumbledore was standing at the front serenely, waiting for the quiet murmur to die down.

Finally a Slytherin boy raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Nott?" Dumbledore asked, pointing at the young man.

"Where's Professor Snape?" He asked snarkily, contempt for the old wizard written clearly across his face.

"I am afraid," Dumbledore said, "That our Professor Snape has had to vacate his position as potion's master. I am only here to introduce you to our newest professor."

An older fat man lumbered in through the door that led to the professor's quarters. "Good morning, class. I am Professor Slughorn."

An odd silence fell over the room. Dumbledore clapped his hands together briskly. "Excellent. I expect you will all bring Professor Slughorn up to speed on what you are learning currently. I hope you all become good friends. Have a jovial day." With that he left.

"I have a test set up for you all," he told them, moving to the front of the classroom, where three covered cauldrons sat. "If you would all kindly move up here." There was a momentary scraping of chairs across the floor as the Gryffindors and Slytherins moved to the front of the classroom. When everyone was gathered around the cauldrons. Slughorn took the purple cloth off the first cauldron. "Who here can tell me what this particularly spectacular potion is?" He asked the class. Hermione's hand shot up into the air. "Yeah, you. Ms. - "

"Granger, sir. Hermione Granger," she told him. "That's Amortentia. The most powerful love potion known to our world. The scent is different for every person, depending on what it is that they truly love. For example, I smell," she closed her eyes, and sniffed deeply, a slight smile crossing her face. "Freshly cut grass, and . . . peppermint toothpaste, and . . . " She opened her eyes, and blushed, chancing a glance at Draco.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The rest of the class went by quickly, with a challenge. Harry won it, to everyone's amazement, after finding an old book in the cupboard, since he'd left his own book in the common room this morning.

As they exited for study hall, Draco snuck up behind her. "So what else was it that you smelt, exactly?" He asked her.

She jumped, and whirled around, smiling. "Maybe I'll tell you some day." She turned to catch up to Harry and Ron.

"Wait!" He said, grabbing her arm and gently spinning her back to face him.

"What is it?" She asked.

He kissed her gently after checking that no one was around to see them. "We'll write later," he said. "Have a nice day."

She smiled. "It's already great," she told him, before rushing off to the library with her two best friends.

**Yep. That's it. I had a bit of writer's block on this chapter about who I would use as the replacement for Snape, but then I realized that Snape clearly already had a replacement, I just needed to utilize him. :D Review, please. Love, Asia!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, guys. I know I haven't updated in a while, but I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Also, HAPPY (late) EASTER! Read, review, and enjoy.**

Hermione sat by the fire in the commonroom, staring into the last few embers.

She glanced down to her diary and saw her name glowing a faint blue. She pulled it out, along with the new self-inking pen that Fred and George had sent her.

She smiled broadly at his scrawled question. _Are you going to tell me what else you smelled today?_

Before she had a chance to reply, she heard footsteps on the boys' stairs, and closed the book with a small snap. She turned towards the approaching footsteps.

"Ron?" She called incredulously when the shock of red hair was seen creeping down.

He jumped. "Err, hey, Hermione." He looked completely uncomfortable in his own skin.

He sat down across from her. "Look, Hermione," he started. "I don't like the way that you and Malfoy have been getting on."

"Ronald, if you're down here to insult my personal choices . . ." She began before he cut her off quickly.

"No, that's . . . that's not what I'm down here to do. Really, Hermione, you've got to believe me when I say this to you." He waited for her to nod to him to continue before going on. "I'm sorry, Hermione, for the way that I acted when you told us about . . . err, all that had happened to you. It's just . . . I was hurt when you said that you'd told Malfoy, but you hadn't told your two best friends. It just didn't seem right to me. It still doesn't, but I'm trusting your judgement on this one. If you told Malfoy, then you must have had a good reason to do so. And, so, what I'm trying to say, Hermione, is, will you forgive me for being such a troll?" He finished awkwardly, looking down into his folded hands.

"Ron," she started.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It was stupid of me to come down here. Really, you don't have to say anything, I'll just go back up to bed. Forget - " He said, standing up.

She reached out and tugged him back down next to her. "Thank you," she told him. "I know that it must've been hard for you to come down here and say this all to me, and you can't know how much I appreciate having a friend like you." She hugged him tightly, and he turned a brilliant shade of red.

He hugged her back tightly. "It's great to have you back, 'Mione. I missed you."

She smiled. "I missed you, too, Ron." She paused for a moment. "I didn't tell Draco, you know."

"What?" He asked her.

"I never told him. He stole my diary and he read it. He read every single page of it, and then, he did something that I never thought him capable of doing. He was kind to me, Ron. And he gave me the comfort that I needed to start healing. So, please, will you try to understand why I am friends with him."

Ron looked resigned. "Fine," he sighed. "But only because it's for you, Hermione. I don't want to ignore you. It's not right, though," he added. "Him stealing your diary like that. I would never do something like that to you."

"I know," she told him, giving his hand a light squeeze. "But that is why Draco knew about it before you did." She looked at the clock, and was shocked to see that it was well past one in the morning. "What do you say we get off to bed?"

"Yeah. 'Night, Hermione." He said before climbing up the stairs.

"Good night, Ron," she called after him before going up to her dormitory and falling asleep.

**Yep. I couldn't keep them fighting for too long. I like Ron. :D And he humbled himself to Hermione. Anyway, this chapter isn't all that long, but, then, neither are any of my other ones. I guess it's just a fact of my writing. Sorry, kiddos. But still! Reviews are love! (So gimme some lovin'!)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Soooo.... here's the next chapter. Thank you for all the awesome reviews that I got! I've passed 550 now! It's crazy! I love you all! So, read, review, and enjoy!**

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table the next morning feeling entirely too groggy. Harry and Ginny seemed pleased that herself and Ron had made up after their riff.

"Pass the toast, would you please?" She asked Neville, who was staring behind her with a strange look on his face. She whipped around to see Draco staring straight at her, his grey eyes piercing into her own brown ones the moment that they met.

She turned around quickly, so as to not draw attention to them, and dug into her notebook for their linked diary.

_Stop staring!_ She scribbled quickly. _If Neville's noticed, than so have others!_

His handwriting appeared almost instantly. _Meet me by the lake during study hall._

She sighed, and wrote her agreement, wondering what could be going on that was so urgent.

"What's up, Hermione?" Harry asked, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Nothing," she replied hastily. "I have to go . . . tutor someone outside during study hall, is all. I was trying to think of what I'm supposed to be teaching her."

"Who is it?" Ginny asked, instantly curious.

"Oh, just a second year Hufflepuff. No one that you three would know." She replied, thinking on her toes now. She felt bad about lying to her friends, but she couldn't very well tell them that she was meeting Draco by the lake. It would cause people to talk. Especially Lavender and Parvarti, who were notorious for eavesdropping on anything and everything that was going on.

Ron nodded his head in agreement. "Probably not," he said, his mouth stuffed with apple cinnamon oatmeal. She thought of S.P.E.W. and decided that she would go visit the kitchens sometime this week to see how the house elves were. Maybe she would even be able to convince Draco to join.

When the bell sounded for the start of first period, study hall for all Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years, Hermione practically shot out of her seat, saying a quick goodbye to her friends, and making her way down to the tree by the lake.

"Hermione?" Draco asked cautiously, coming around the tree that she was now sitting against.

She smiled up at him, her eyes slightly squinted in the bright morning sunlight. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, sitting next to her. "What happened to you last night?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"You never replied to my message. You're not mad at me, are you?" He asked, real concern in his voice.

She smiled and kissed his hand that had twined itself in hers. "No. I was distracted. Ron came downstairs to talk to me."

"I saw you two talking at your table this morning." He told her. "I'm glad the two of you have reconciled your differences."

"I didn't think you liked Ron?" She asked him.

He chuckled a bit under his breath. "No," he replied. "I don't. But you do, and that's what counts. It was making you unhappy, not speaking with one of your best friends. I would never want that for you, no matter my feelings on them. All that matters is that you are happy."

She smiled broadly. "Thank you." She told him.

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "There is nothing to thank me for. It's just how things should be." They sat there for a few moments in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. "So," he began slyly. "What exactly was it that you smelled in that potion?"

She blushed deeply and shook her head. "I'm not telling you."

"C'mon, Hermione." He pleaded. "I'll tell you if you tell me," he suggested.

She sighed, finally. "Fine, fine," she said. I'll tell you." She took a deep breath, nerves making her slightly shaky. "It was you. The certain way that you smell."

"The certain way that I smell?" He questioned.

"Yeah, you . . . you smell like clean linen, and toothepaste, and your hair . . . it just smells like you." She blushed crimson. "I'm sorry," she stammered. "It's stupid, I know, but it's just that - "

His lips captured hers in a passionate kiss. When the broke apart, he whispered against her neck, "It's just that there's a certain scent that always reminds me of you. And I've never smelt anything like it before. It's one-hundred percent you."

She nodded. "Exactly."

Their lips met again, and they stayed locked in a kiss until the bell rang to signal that second period had started.

Hermione stood up to leave, and Draco pulled her back to him for a moment, pressing his lips softly to her forehead. "I love you, Hermione," he whispered into her hair.

"Me, too," she replied before hurrying to class.

**So, it's just some fluff. But I felt like writing something cute. Also, some people said that this has moved quickly. I agree, it has, but I was impatient while writing it, and it's fine. It's called fanFICTION for a reason, yeah? Anywho, review, please! :D**


	26. Chapter 26 The End

**AN: Hey guys. Sorry I didn't update for so long. I can't believe it! Thanks for reading. This is the last chapter so I really hope you all enjoy it! Review please! **

Hermione sat in class staring out the window. It was such a lovely day. There were owls every where. She sighed. It had been a month since that day by the lake with Draco. A beautiful month filled with love and healing. She had never imagined Draco could be such a great person.

She glanced down at their linked journal and saw that Draco had written something….or so she thought. On the page was nothing but a large irregular blot of… something. She didn't know what it was.

_?_ She wrote back. Clearly confused by the strange shape on the paper. She touched it. It was sticky! _What is this Draco? _She asked him.

_Oh… I was just thinking about you. ;) _He replied. She smiled to herself. What a sweet gesture, she thought.

_Were you thinking about that time you took me for a ride on your broomstick down by the forest? _She asked him remembering how terrified she had been of flying for the first time.

_Yeah. Something like that….. Sex kitten._

She was taken aback! What did he mean "sex kitten"? She was a witch! Not a cat! She shook her head, appalled. She would have to consult Professor Dumbledore about this matter after class.

_Oh. Thanks._ She replied.

**~~~~~~~~LATER THAT DAY~~~~~~~~~**

"Thanks for meeting me up here Professor." Hermione said while looking at all the owls flying around the Forbidden Forest.

"Anything for a student such as yourself Miss Granger." He replied. "What was it you had wanted to ask me? Is it something to do with your homework?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I wanted to ask you….. About…. THIS!" She finally spat out, holding out the diary page with a blacklight over it. "It was sticky earlier. But it's all dried up now. What is it Professor? I need to know!"

Dumbledore leaned closer to the spot, rearranging his spectacles as to get a better look. "Well, Hermione. It appears to be a cum-shot. Right smack-dab on a page of your notebook. Where did you acquire such a thing?"

"Draco sent it to me." She replied, still uncertain what the spot was. "Umm.. Professor? I was wondering… Where do cum-shots come from?"

Dumbledore looked a bit uncomfortable, glancing around the tower top, looking for an escape. "Well you see, Hermione… Cum-shots…. They come from…"

"Yes?" She asked earnestly, always willing to learn.

"THEY COME FROM PENISES!" He shouted just before throwing himself from the top of the tower to his ultimate demise.

Hermione looked around, tears in her eyes. "But then… What are penises?" She asked to no one in particular. She moved to the tower's edge, looking down in horror at the scene below. Professor Dumbledore was dead. His small intestines leaking out onto poor Harry Potter, whom he had dropped upon. Harry looked down at Dumbledore's "wand" poking him in the butt, then looked up at her and mouthed "why?" Just before dying himself.

She started bawling like a little baby then. Her best friend was dead. Dumbledore was dead. Her boyfriend had sent her a cum-shot from a penis and she didn't even know what that meant. Her life was over. She glanced down once more at the scene below.

Quickly grabbing her diary she wrote, _Thanks for the cum-shot Draco. I loved it! I don't know what a penis is, but thanks for sending me one from it. I love you. I'm killing myself now. Goodbye my dear._

Then she jumped off the tower and everything went black….. and blue.

**THE END!  
WOW. I really hope you guys liked it. It took me a really long time to think of a good ending for this fic. Let me know what you all think please. Maybe there'll be a sequel if I get enough feedback! **


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